First, I am very happy that you are OK, Steve. Sounds like a bad crash, but your generally good physical condition probably helped prevent worse injury.
Also, sounds like you did everything right after the crash. Too many bicyclists try to shake off a crash, and then find out they are injured later. Too late for a police report or getting info from the drivers. Now, about the type of crash you experienced: One of the little statistics that I have learned from being a bicycle safety educator and advocate for over a decade is that this type of crash - motorists failing to yield and turning left into a bicyclist - is the most common type of motor vehicle-bicycle crash for bicyclists over 16 years old. (See below for why I worded that exactly that way.) It also happens to be the most common crash type for motorcycle-auto crashes. Probably for the same reason: bicycles and motorcycles are narrower vehicles and easier to overlook when looking for a gap to make a left turn. This is why I am especially cautious when I see a motorist waiting to make a left. Now, a slightly longer explanation, if you are interested in crash types: Notice above I specifically said: Bicycle-motor vehicle crash Bicyclist over 16 years of age First, most bicycle crashes do not involve a motor vehicle. Falling due to snow, gravel, wet leaves, dogs/squirrels/deer, cracks in the pavement, curbs, bumps in the road or trail, railroad tracks, going off the path, missing a turn, or our own operating errors are by far the largest category of bicycle crashes. But that's not what people think of when they hear about a bike crash. Then, when you read crash statistics for bicyclists that do involve a motor vehicle, the crashes for bicyclists under age 16 and over 16 are often lumped together. They are very different, and the result is the general public often misunderstands how, when, why, and where bicycle crashes occur. Bicyclists over 16 are fewer in number than those under 16 - most bicyclists today are still children - and adults (over 16 in this case) are much less likely to make certain types of errors that cause them to get hit by a car. So the majority of bike crashes happen to kids, so they skew the statistics if kids and adults are lumped together. Most people over sixteen in the US are also drivers, and so they understand traffic, and know how things work on the street. Kids don't understand how to ride a bike as a vehicle operator, and they don't have the experience needed to do it right. In MV-bike crashes involving bicyclists under sixteen, it is more likely the bicyclists has made an error that caused the crash. Kids ride out into the street from sidewalks and driveways without looking, and they often swerve in the street without looking for cars. They have poor impulse control, and have certain developmental issues that make it harder for them to perceive traffic and control their bikes. When the bicyclist is over sixteen, the error is more likely to be on the part of the motorist. Failure to yield is the big one. Whether making a turn or simply not yielding after stopping at an intersection, it's usually the motorist that did something wrong. Yes, bicyclists run stop signs and red lights, but most of the ones that do it are looking for cars, and few of these actions cause a crash. The problem is, motorists aren't looking for bikes, and even when they are, they just don't see us. Probably more than you wanted to know, but once I start writing, I just keep going. Robbie Webber Bike Walk Madison Steering Committee www.bikewalkmadison.org Join our group on Facebook! _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org
